Vocabulary Enrichment 1

Myriad

noun - countless or extremely great in number

"The student gave a myriad of excuses, but none explained why he was late to class."

Innocuous

adjective - not harmful or offensive

"Though he thought his comments innocuous, she still would not forgive him."

Feign

verb - to give a false appearance of

"He wanted to feign left and move right, but the tackler stopped him soundly."

Temerity

noun - excessive boldness or confidence

"I cannot believe you have the temerity to air such an insensitive query!"

Affront

noun - an action or remark that causes outrage or offense

"The soldier forgot to salute his commander, an affront not taken lightly in the military."

Acquiesce

verb - accept something reluctantly but without protest

"The player disagreed with the referee's decision, but had to acquiesce nonetheless."

Interim

noun - the intervening time

adjective - in or for the intervening period; provisional or temporary

"The interim coach will take over in the interim after her predecessor was sacked."

Trepidation

noun - a feeling of fear or agitation about something that may happen

"The team captain approached the delicate situation with great trepidation"

Alleviate

verb - make (suffering, deficiency, or a problem) less severe

"The balm helped to alleviate her sunburn."

Stagnant

adjective - having no current or flow and often having an unpleasant smell as a consequence

"After wandering the desert for 10 days, he welcomed the chance to drink murky, stagnant water."

Elicit

verb - evoke or draw out from someone in reaction to one's own actions or questions

"The saleswoman knew to elicit a response from her customer before continuing with the presentation."

Exacerbate

verb - make (a problem, bad situation, or negative feeling) worse

"Excessive drinking only served to exacerbate her problems."

Tumultuous

adjective - making a loud, confused noise; uproarious

"He told his parents he was joining the circus, causing a tumultuous uproar from his father."

Bolster (use as a verb only)

verb - support or strengthen

"The new recruits flew in to bolster their ground forces."

Cajole

verb - persuade to do something by sustained coaxing or flattery

"He tried to cajole his mom into cooking her famous pepperoni casserole."

Clandestine

adjective - kept secret or done secretively, especially because illicit

"An international superspy, the man was a master of the clandestine."

Ameliorate

verb - make (something bad or unsatisfactory) better

"His support helped to ameliorate the company's financial problems."

Cessation

noun - the fact or process of ending or being brought to an end

"He ordered the immediate cessation of all overseas activity."

Proliferation

noun - rapid increase in numbers

"The proliferation of the virus all but guaranteed the extinction of their species."

Fervent

adjective - having or displaying a passionate intensity.

"The Alabama fans displayed a fervent energy unparalleled in college football."

Ubiquitous

adjective - present, appearing, or found everywhere

"The response was ubiquitous; Curry was the best player in the league."

Sweltering

adjective - uncomfortably hot

"The sweltering heat made her sneakers melt to the sidewalk."

Extraneous

adjective - irrelevant or unrelated to the subject being dealt with

"She thought the fabric was extraneous and ended up ruining her coat when she cut it off."

Recalcitrant

adjective - having an obstinately uncooperative attitude toward authority or discipline

"He joined the rebels not because of their creed, but because he had a naturally recalcitrant attitude."

Schadenfreude

noun - pleasure derived by someone from another person's misfortune

"It might have been schadenfreude he felt upon seeing their rival team lose the championship game."

Malleable

adjective - able to be hammered or pressed permanently out of shape without breaking or cracking

"The lava turned her flesh into a malleable paste."

Augment

verb - make greater by adding to it

"Her stink face really helped to augment her mean personality."

Debauchery

noun - excessive indulgence in sensual pleasures

"The guys were ready for a night of wild revelry and debauchery."

Decadence

noun - moral or cultural decline as characterized by excessive indulgence in pleasure or luxury.

"Salt and pepper became a sophisticated decadence for the poverty-stricken family."

Presumptive

adjective - of the nature of a presumption

"His presumptive nature did not serve him well when visiting his girlfriend's family."